racerdave
^ Gone not forgotten ^
Anyone know what spoke wrench number size fits the OEM spoke nipples?
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jd750ace
Front Toward Enemy
I want to say 5MM. Mine are 6MM on my Road Star, but it's got some big spokes.
jchrisk1
XS650 Junkie
Dammit! I thought this would be better. Not a single boob in this thread!
Get yourself a Rowe spoke wrench. It fits 6 different sizes and I've yet to find a spoke it won't fit .....
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/4/65/4679/ITEM/Rowe-USA-Spoke-Wrench.aspx
Make sure it's stamped with the "Rowe" name because the Chinese are making knock-offs.
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/4/65/4679/ITEM/Rowe-USA-Spoke-Wrench.aspx
Make sure it's stamped with the "Rowe" name because the Chinese are making knock-offs.
jd750ace
Front Toward Enemy
Wow, how funny is it that the "real McCoy" is in stock, and costs less than the BikeMaster?
daroberts3
XS650 Addict
I am having trouble with my nipples too ! MikesXS polished spoke set for an '83 with 64 spokes. Nipples seem to be in between the sizes on my Rowe wrench, which is really too big anyways to get into the tight spots. Looks like my nipps are between a 4 and 5 ?? Any other known sources for a smaller tighter fitting nipple twister ??
Most of the motorcycle spoke wrenches you find aren't going to go below 5mm, even the fancy $100+ ones with interchangeable heads. You may need to do all your tightening from the bottom with a screwdriver. That's how I do the majority of mine, just using the wrench for some final tweaking.
daroberts3
XS650 Addict
Yeah thats what I have done so far, but I cant get the torque I want with just a screwdriver. Looking into some bicycle spoke wrenches.....
I did mine with a normal wrench and even that wanted to slip and tear them up when I was trying to get the back wheel up to final torque. I ended up using two 7mm wrenches stacked in a sandwich to spread the load over more of the nipple surface.
racerdave
^ Gone not forgotten ^
I measured several of the new Mikes XS stainless nipples. On my digital mic, I get 5.44 mm or .215 thousands.
I got a set of nipple wrenches from Mike's XS, item # 35-0109. It has four sizes. 8, 9, 10, 11. I don't think they are metric or sae sizes, just sizes that they are marked. The #8 is the biggest, the #9 fits the nipples on my 75. The #'s 10 and 11 are smaller.
I seem to have misplaced both of my calipers, when I find them I'll measure these wrenches.
Leo
I seem to have misplaced both of my calipers, when I find them I'll measure these wrenches.
Leo
daroberts3
XS650 Addict
I measured my nipples! .177"/4.5mm . Anyone know where i can get a wrench to fit them?
#4 slot on Rowe wrench is too big, and that wrench blows for truing a 64 spoke wheel!
XSLeo - can you measure your MikesXS wrenches please ? Their tech department says they will work on my nipples, but............
#4 slot on Rowe wrench is too big, and that wrench blows for truing a 64 spoke wheel!
XSLeo - can you measure your MikesXS wrenches please ? Their tech department says they will work on my nipples, but............
Lluber
Noob
this is the thread I've been looking for! I just pulled apart my wheel and the nipps need replacing. Someone mentioned buchanans, any idea on the size I should be looking for? 4-5mm?
daroberts3
XS650 Addict
Call Buchanans and they will know what size spoke and nipple set based on the make/model/year of your bike. It may be more difficult if you are lacing a mismatched hub and wheel. Expect to pay big bucks and get excellent quality. I would not recommend the Mikesxs spoke sets, they are low quality, poor threads, odd size nipples (on my set at least). I had to make a spoke wrench to fit my nipples.
Lluber
Noob
yeah, I've contacted mikes about buying just the nipples because my spokes are fine im going to polish them up real good and keep them. Nipples are a different story, heads are all rusted stripped bad shape.. Ill give buchanans a call tomorrow see if they cant get me figured out. Thanks man..
Lluber
Noob
Son-of-a the buchanan's nipples don't fit the stock spokes..So are the mikes spoke sets really that bad?
racerdave
^ Gone not forgotten ^
I bought Mikes stainless spokes and nipples, look ok, but haven't tried to lace them up yet.
daroberts3
XS650 Addict
MikesXS spokes and nipples have weak threads. The nipples are easy to round off (shut up Beavis!). The threads are easy to strip when really torquing them down. I also couldn't find the correct size nipple wrench and had to make one. My spoke set came with extra spokes and nipples.
